There was a joyful service recently at Wimborne Minster as Bishop Karen commissioned 21 new Lay Pastoral Assistants (with one more to be commissioned in parish) to serve in parishes across Wimborne deanery.
The training course had been running at St Mary’s Parish Church in West Moors for six months led by the Revd Andy Muckle (vicar of West Moors) with clergy colleagues from around the deanery contributing to the sessions.
Andy commented:
“it was a joy to be able to lead such a large cohort of enthusiastic candidates through the Lay Pastoral Assistant course and to then see them commissioned to serve in six benefices threaded throughout the deanery.
"I think it is great testament to their calling and commitment to serve God and ‘be Christ’s hands feet and eyes’ (to paraphrase the wonderful prayer of St Theresa which is threaded throughout the course) that all those who started the course back in January were commissioned in the Minster.
"Another real joy for me personally, in the way the course unfolded, was seeing a large group of committed disciples albeit from very different traditions and churches bond and form friendships, and that gave the course a real sense of a shared pilgrimage together. I have no doubt that these 22 new LPAs will bring spirit-filled gifts and be real blessings to the parishes in which they serve.”
